A shopper has been left ’embarrassed’ over a little-known alcohol policy after she tried to buy a bottle of red wine at Aldi with her two teenage kids in tow.
The mother, from New South Wales, claimed she was queuing up to pay for her items, including alcohol, when a diligent cashier called over a manager to ask whether she could serve her as she was shopping with her school children.
‘While waiting in line, I grabbed a bottle of alcohol to purchase, the cashier said she needed to check with her manager if she could sell the alcohol as I have two children in uniform,’ the woman wrote in a Facebook group.
The shopper claimed the cashier was then told she had autonomy over who she sells the alcohol to or who she refuses to serve.
‘She called the manager and was told that it was at the cashier discretion if she could sell it to me,’ she said.
A shopper has been left ’embarrassed’ over a little-known alcohol policy after she tried to buy a bottle of red wine at Aldi with her two teenage kids in tow (file image)
Shortly after, the mother was permitted to buy the wine but she claimed she was left red-faced as the incident happened in front of her kids and other shoppers.
‘She allowed me to purchase it but at the same time I felt embarrassed as people were looking at me like I’m some bad parent,’ the mother said.
‘And no my kids did not handle the alcohol at anytime.’
In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, an Aldi Australia spokesperson said it’s the store’s responsibility to ban customers – who are shopping with kids – from buying alcohol if they suspect the adult is supplying the drink to minors.
‘The sale of alcohol can be refused if a minor has handled alcohol that could be potentially purchased by an adult for the minor’s consumption,’ the Aldi spokesperson said.
‘This also extends to a minor accompanying an adult purchasing alcohol, even if the minor has not physically touched an alcoholic product.
‘It is the store’s responsibility to refuse any customer who presents a risk and ultimately it is at the discretion of the person serving to decline the sale should they have any doubts or concerns.’
The shopper shared her experiences on social media where she asked fellow parents if they have been been stopped from buying alcohol while shopping with their kids.
Her post quickly sparked a debate among shoppers, with many siding with the cashier for being cautious over serving adults accompanied by children.
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According to Liquor and Gaming NSW, it is unlawful to buy or obtain alcohol on behalf of a minor on licensed premises. Adults can face fines of up to $11,000 and/or 12 months behind bars if convicted of underage alcohol supply offences.
One mother said she usually leaves her two teenage children in the car when she’s buying alcohol at the shops.
‘I personally do not buy alcohol when my children are with me. They wait in the car, yes teenagers are capable and allowed to sit in the car or buy when they’re not with me at all,’ she said.
‘Maybe just something to keep in mind for future reference. No staff member is asking for the fun of it, just to keep their job. So please don’t take it personally.’
The mother, from New South Wales, claimed she was queuing up to pay for her items, including alcohol, when a diligent cashier called over a manager to ask whether she could serve her as she was shopping with her school children (file image)
A bottle shop worker weighed in on the issue, saying she’d rather be over cautious than face prosecution for selling alcohol to under-18s.
‘I’d prefer to offend someone accidentally than not be cautious, sell alcohol to the wrong person, lose my job and be hit with thousands and thousands of dollars in fine,’ she said about her retail store.
‘We are not allowed to sell liquor to anyone in a school uniform at work, regardless of 18+. And if we have any suspicions at all that it could be secondary supply, we are within our rights to refuse service to save our own a***s.’
Many shared similar experiences, with one woman claiming a cashier refused to serve her after her 28-year-old daughter didn’t have ID on her.
‘It happened to me a few times when I was with my 28-year-old daughter. She didn’t have ID with her and they wouldn’t let me buy the alcohol until she could produce the ID. I left the alcohol, didn’t want it after that,’ she explained.
Some shoppers suggested the retailer should ‘put their policy in writing for all customers to see’ to prevent any confusion.
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